Title: Electrical discharge machining of hybrid metal matrix composites by applying Taguchi method

Authors: S. Gopalakannan; T. Senthilvelan; K. Kalaichelvan

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Adhiparasakthi Engineering College, Melmaruvathur – 603319, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pondicherry Engineering College, Puducherry-605014, India ' Department of Production Technology, Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, Chennai-600044, India

Abstract: The newly engineered hybrid metal matrix composite reinforced with SiC and graphite (Gr) particles were prepared by stir casting method. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) was employed to machine hybrid MMC with copper electrode. A plan of experiments based on Taguchi method was used to acquire the data in a controlled way. An orthogonal array and analysis of variance were employed to investigate the influence of process parameters viz., pulse current, gap voltage, pulse on time and pulse off time on material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear ratio (EWR) and surface roughness (SR). The objective was to identify the significant process parameters that affect the output characteristics. Further, a mathematical model has been formulated by applying Taguchi method in order to estimate the machining characteristics such as MRR, EWR and SR.

Keywords: hybrid MMC; stir casting; metal matrix composites; reinforced composites; silicon carbide; graphite; Taguchi methods; electrical discharge machining; EDM; orthogonal arrays; ANOVA; material removal rate; MRR; electrode wear ratio; EWR; surface roughness; multiple linear regression; mathematical modelling; electro-discharge machining; surface quality; copper electrodes; pulse current; gap voltage.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2012.051432

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2012 Vol.26 No.1/2/3/4, pp.114 - 136

Published online: 26 Nov 2014 *

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